Falling Once More
by Level 250 Wild Goldeen
Summary: Happiness. Ranma just can't seem to find it in Nerima. Does this mean such a thing is forever out of his reach? Or perhaps...just maybe...he'll need to go someplace else to find it.
1. Romance? Feh

Have You Hugged Your Disclaimer Lately? I own nothing in this fanfiction, unless I say otherwise. Got that? Good. You may proceed.

AN: Sorry, I won't be updating LI,FS and possibly more than one or two chapters of WKLY until I get the whole romance thing down. That's right people, this is my valiant and misguided attempt at romance writing! Practicing romance under strange conditions is a must, 'cause let's face it- Ranma isn't exactly "normal". I don't wanna completely #$ up my stories due to lack of experience...well, no more than they already are. Those of you who like the concept behind LI,FS might like this, I don't know. Please review, it will REALLY help me in this area, where I think I need it the most right now. Now, read on brave reviewers! Beware The Wrath of the WAFF!

* * *

Falling Once More

Chapter 1: Romance? Feh.

* * *

Oh yes. To say that he was going to hurt the old perv when he got back was an understatement. Splashing him with water and groping his female form was bad. Trying to get him to try on all those revealing outfits was worse. Hurling him through a cosmic rift in the Time Stream...that was pushing him too far!

Waiting for all the weird swirling multicolored lights and other special effects to end, and for his stomach to stop doing back flips, Ranma Saotome considered his perverted "master", and the events leading up to this impromptu little trip through time and space.

It had started out as a normal day, at least by his standards. Ever since the failed wedding last week, his rivals seemed to have been whipped into a frenzy. Now they attacked him at least three times a day, often coordinating their attacks. Too bad they still got thrashed with minimal effort.

His fiances also seemed to have gotten more desperate as of late. Shampoo constantly threw herself at him, glomping on with all her might. No real difference there. Except that now she did so while sobbing and apologizing profusely. He simply ignored her for several moments before plucking her off and gently setting her down, then walked off.

Ukyo couldn't even look him in the eyes. She knew what she would find there- betrayal and disappointment. Not anger and hate, which might have been more tolerable. Konatsu would promptly arrive at school just as lunch began, day after day. The gender confused kunoichi would always bring Ranma a deluxe okonomiyaki decorated with words asking for forgiveness. He threw them away without hesitation or a second glance.

Kodachi, believing that her "Ranma-sama" was now securely in her clutches, was constantly trying to take him away from all the "unworthy peasants". She didn't get very far. All the paralysis powders and other concoctions lovingly mixed together just for him were quickly and rather coldly redirected right back at her.

Akane was always staring at him when she thought he wasn't looking. These days, her eyes showed a confused mixture of anger and guilt. The later would quickly give way to the former, and she would attempt to punish Ranma for whatever perverted thing her deluded mind came up with. The pigtailed boy didn't bother speaking with her, even as he countered her clumsy attempts at offensive strikes and threw her into the nearest body of water to cool off, sneering slightly as he did so.

The two fathers, for once correctly observing that things were not going in favor of their plans, redoubled their efforts at bullying Ranma into marriage. Even when they were put into full body casts after the eighth or so attempt.

Nabiki was smart enough to stay out of his way as she tried again and again to convince herself that the failed wedding was not her fault. It wasn't working. Kasumi did her best to cheer Ranma up, and he appreciated her efforts, even though they had no effect. His mother did her best to help her son in any way she could, but the only thing she could do was nullify the engagements, and that would take time.

Ms. Hinako, sensing something was wrong with her favorite student, and then catching wind of the rumors concerning the reason, became more lenient on Ranma. Especially when she caught him sleeping in class one day, tears slowly trailing down his face, so restless even while dreaming. Silently, she vowed to do what she could to ease his suffering.

Cologne was, surprisingly, the only other person that genuinely cared about the pigtailed youth's welfare. In order to help him better protect himself from the constant attacks, she took it upon herself to train him in several more powerful techniques. She asked nothing in return, and even dropped the "son-in-law" when she addressed him. When confronted about the unusual behavior, she gave him an even look and explained simply, "You have a tendency of growing on people, child. Somewhere along the way, I began to think of you as one of my own, even if you aren't really a part of the Amazon tribe."

The only one that hadn't really changed at all was...Happosai. The perverted gnome still went out on his nightly panty raids, or at least he tried to. Every time he tried to leave the house, he found Ranma's foot awaiting his face. Becoming desperate to collect his silky darlings, the ancient lecher had finally resorted to magic and trickery.

The old Grandmaster's plan was simple, but effective. He waited until everything came to a boil, and finally began to push the young Saotome heir over the edge.

Too distracted by his own growing anger, the pigtailed boy never noticed the diminutive shadow slinking up behind him. Squeezing his eyes shut, he lowered his head, casting a shadow over his face as he tried to calm his turbulent emotions. Before him, the Tendo and Saotome patriarchs were once again yelling at him to join the schools. To one side, Kuno was spouting more poetry and declaring his intent to rid the world of the foul sorcery. On the other side, Mousse was determinedly attacking a tree. From somewhere upstairs came the stomping of an angry tomboy's approach.

A single tear of frustration finally made its way down his left cheek, before splashing onto the ground below. Or at least thats where it would have landed, if it hadn't been intercepted by a certain mirror held in a gnarled old hand. 'Is this the way my life will always be! I can't take this anymore...someone please tell me, will my future be any better?'

That was all the prompting the Nanban mirror required as it swept away its unwitting user in a dazzling display of arcane power.

Sighing gently, Ranma once again cursed himself for not paying more attention to his surroundings. 'I wonder where the stupid mirror is sending me?'

Finally bringing his protesting stomach under control, he inhaled a deep, shuddering breath. "Does it matter? Anywhere has to be better than Nerima. But I wonder...the last thing I thought of before the freaky light show began was...the future! Oh sh-!"

He never got to finish his expletive, as darkness closed in around him.

* * *

The Time Stream was in an uproar. If that chaos magnet met his future self, there was no telling what destruction could result.

What few people know, is that Time itself has a form of sentience- a deity of sorts, if you will. And currently, that sentience was royally ticked at a certain Grandmaster of Anything Goes. 'Is that lecherous fool aware of the havoc he just unleashed upon all of creation! Probably not...but his punishment shall come later. For now, I must fix his mistake.'

Thinking quickly, the Time Stream (which shall from this point on be referred to as TS for short) came up with a solution. 'Sigh...no other choice. I cannot allow such a paradox to take place! He absolutely must not meet with his future self! Hmm...I hope he appreciates what I am doing for him. I've always wanted to help the poor boy in some way, but it is not my way to interfere...at least some good will come of this.'

With that, TS set about altering the flows of time, making slight adjustments here and there. 'There...my gift to you, Ranma Saotome. I truly hope you can find the happiness you have been seeking your whole life. Even if it is borrowed from...well...yourself.

* * *

Awakening to the mother of all headaches, Ranma blearily ran a hand through his hair. 'Man, what a screwy dream. Heh, Happi wouldn't REALLY be stupid enough to use the Nanban mirror again. I should've...eh? Oh no...'

Concentrating his senses and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he belatedly noted that he was NOT in his own room, or even in his own bed. And apparently, the owner of the bed just woke up, judging by the cute yawn coming from somewhere behind him. 'What'd I do to make the Gods hate me so much? Might as well just sit here and prepare for the incoming beating. Not like I'm not used to-'

His thoughts choked and died as an obviously female body pressed itself into his back, arms snaking around his front and holding him in a gentle embrace. A soft voice purred into his left ear, "Morning, Ranma. How 'bout a kiss for your beautiful wife, hmm?"

That gave his brain the jump start it needed. His jaw practically hit the floor as he barely managed to choke out, "w-wife!"

* * *

AN: There we go...this is, basically, the prologue. I don't think you'll be too surprised at who Ranma's "wife" is. Sorry about the rush, but I needed to get this over with as quick as possible. Never mind why. Please review, and give me your honest opinions and as much advice as you can- especially in future chapters. It is very important! 


	2. Love Really DOES Hurt

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story. Except the Time Stream. That's kinda mine...sort of. I own nothing else! At least not yet...

AN: Thank you all for the reviews, and especially the advice!

HeeHaw the Anon Reviewer: I actually summarized that first chapter on purpose...I didn't feel like doing much with the whole Nerima dynamic, I wanted to get Ranma out of there ASAP. And like I said- it was a prologue more than anything else. But you are right, I should go back and change it up one of these days. But like I said, this lil fic is focused more toward me practicing romance writing than anything else. And yes, thank you for pointing out that I need to describe scenes more. I honestly wasn't thinking about that...ehehe. That will, I imagine, help my writing quite a bit o.O

Ah yeah, as previously stated, this story's entire purpose is practice. That includes introspective moments. Just warning you...lol. I apologize for this, if you dislike my choice of crossover. Now. As for why I chose the same (or is it?) pairing as LI,FS...well, more practice with that. And honestly, I couldn't think of any other thing that would fit what I have planned. The Gold Digger (Thats right, GD! Surprise!) universe thingy will be quite...butchered. Even more so than LI,FS I think. But its necessary...mostly. Now enough pointless ranting, the story begins!

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Falling Once More

Chapter 2: Love Really DOES Hurt...Alot!

* * *

Morning. One of the few truly peaceful times around the Diggers household...well, unless the usual megalomaniacal decided to up the ante and stage an early ambush. But that was beside the point.

Taking a sip of her coffee and waiting for her husband to drag himself downstairs, Julia Brigand Diggers glanced out of the kitchen window and sighed contentedly. Today was an exceptionally beautiful day, at least by Earth standards. True, the air was not as sweet or clean as that of Jade, but it was still quite pleasant. The sun timidly peaked over the rooftops of houses in the distance, casting its hazy light over the waking suburbs. No clouds hung about the sky, seemingly dispelled by the sun's gentle glow. Songbirds called to one another here and there, tucked away in their nests away from prying eyes.

The serene view brought a smile to the redheaded warrior. 'This is why I became the Armsmaster. To safeguard precious moments like these, to keep peace alive.'

Idly toying with a loose strand of hair, she began to wonder about her family's whereabouts. Specifically, that of her newlywed daughter, Britanny. 'Hehe, probably busy with her husband,' she thought to herself with a smirk. She was correct, but not in the way she was thinking (or you for that matter, you perverts!).

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! C-C-CAT!"

Nearly choking on her coffee and spilling it on herself, Julia craned her neck around just in time to catch two blurs speeding through the kitchen and out the door. The one in the lead was red and black, and the one trailing it close behind was gold with brown flecks. "Ranma, what's wrong! Stop running!"

Her eye twitching slightly at the antics of her son-in-law, Julia resisted the urge to pummel the pigtailed young man. She wouldn't attack someone who would not fight back (AN: you'll see...). Even if that little stunt of his did knock over several pieces of furniture. 'What in the name of...argh, hell of a time to be playing hard to get! I'd better put a stop to this before my house gets trashed any more. Here they come again...'

"GET AWAY, GET AWAY! LEMME ALONE! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Ranma! Get back here!"

This time, the Armsmaster of Jade was ready when the two blurs sped by. Reaching out a hand, she grabbed the quickly retreating pigtail and pulled. Yelping in pain and surprise, the Saotome heir came to a sudden stop just as Britanny screeched to a halt several feet away. Before he could voice a protest or continue his screaming, Julia tapped various pressure points on his chest and neck, causing him to slump to the floor in unconsciousness.

Her face creased in worry, the resident werecheetah approached her mother. "Mom, something's wrong with Ranma. He took one look at me and took off, screaming about not wanting to be eaten! I think we should wake Gina up and get him down to the lab."

Looking at her daughter somewhat askance, Julia nodded her head slowly. She knew that Ranma was more than a little nervous about any kind of physical contact other than fighting, but that was just plain ridiculous! Still, she knew Britanny wouldn't joke about something like this, and the look on her face...

'Somehow, someway, you always manage to make our lives just a bit more chaotic than usual. And considering who we are, that's saying something. Of course, we love you all the more for it,' she thought to herself, looking down fondly upon the insensible heap that was her son in spirit, if not by blood. Hefting the pigtailed burden onto her shoulder, Julia began to walk out of the partially wrecked kitchen before she half turned to regard her daughter once more. "Britanny, I'll take him down to the lab. Please wake your sister up and explain the situation to her. Oh, and...put some clothes on first, alright?"

Blinking and looking down at herself, the werecheetah's blush was visible even through her fur as she chucked sheepishly. "Ehehe...sure, mom. I'll be right down!"

"Wait, don't run in the-!"

Julia put her palm up to her face and sighed deeply as she found herself speaking to nothing but disturbed air and tumbling furniture. Grumbling under her breath, she continued on her way toward the lab before addressing the still out of it Ranma. "I hope there's nothing seriously wrong with you. Not just for Britanny's sake- you're part of the family now, and you've managed to make a lot of friends that care about you. But... you look a bit different... your aura even feels different, for some reason. This is very peculiar..."

* * *

Some time later, a very disheveled Gina Diggers yawned loudly and took another sip of her coffee. Setting the mug back down on a nearby table, she turned back to face her mother and sister.

"Well?" Britanny demanded eagerly.

Rolling her eyes at her younger sibling's lack of patience, Gina paused to think for a moment before clearing her throat. "There doesn't appear to be anything life threatening...no, Ranma's not in any kind of danger but..."

Julia and Britanny leaned forward, mentally preparing themselves for any number of strange and unusual circumstances. As one, they asked, "But?"

Gina's gaze flickered from her little sister to her mother and back again. In a serious tone of voice that left no room for argument, she stated, "I...have absolutely no idea."

Two bodies hit the floor in a facefault powerful enough to shake several beakers and test tubes from their perches and send them crashing to the floor. "Hey! Watch it!"

Recovering quickly, the Armsmaster and the werecheetah glared at the resident genius as she adjusted her glasses and muttered about the difficulty of synthesizing various chemicals. Taking a step towards her older sister, the severely annoyed lycanthrope growled out, "What do you mean you have no idea!"

Backing away from the angry looks directed at her and putting her hands up in a placating gesture, Gina quickly amended her earlier statement. "It's just...weird! I can't really explain how it's even possible, but I'll try."

Calming down, Britanny and Julia motioned for her to continue. Sighing in relief, she gestured towards the sleeping form of Ranma resting on top of an examination table. "Well for starters, his apparent biological age is now equivalent to about seventeen years. He is, for all intents and purposes, a teenager now. Possibly the only thing that could explain how that happened is the faint residual evidence of a temporal distortion."

She paused to gauge the pair's reactions. Julia seemed not to be listening anymore, instead focusing her attention inward on her own thoughts. 'Seventeen years old? Well, that would explain why he appears different. Wait a moment...temporal distortion?'

"When you say 'temporal distortion', do you mean as in time travel or something?"

Blinking in surprise at the question, Gina nodded slowly and replied, "Yeah, something like that. Or maybe some form of time magic designed to alter someone's age...I don't know, but there are faint traces of magical energy as well."

Frowning pensively, Britanny decided to voice her concerns. "So Muffin's dropped a few years? That's not too bad. But that isn't all, is it? It doesn't explain why he was so scared earlier."

Fidgeting nervously, Gina began to edge away from her sister. 'Oh I am definitely not going to enjoy this...'

Licking her suddenly dry lips, the blonde genius slowly made her way to the elevator, and hopefully safety. "Yes, there is something else..."

Not liking the tone of her elder sister's voice, the young werecheetah narrowed her eyes and advanced on the retreating sometimes treasure hunter. "Oh? And what might that be, hmm?"

Increasing her pace, Gina took a deep breath and prepared herself to bolt, for all the good it would do her. "Well um...there seems to be some form of deep psychological scarring. Forcefully repressed memories and a-a behavioral abnormality- his subconscious is trying to protect him from something, but whatever it is it's too strong. In essence, h-he..."

"Yeeees?" Britanny pressed with an edge to her voice.

Catching the warning note in the lycanthrope's tone, Gina squeeked out, "he's afraid of cats!" before turning and sprinting full tilt towards the elevator. She never made it. A blur of motion cut her off, squashing all hopes of escape.

"Whaaaaaaaat! He can't be afraid of cats! I'M a cat! How can my own husband be afraid of ME!"

Julia, hastening to perform damage control, attempted to soothe her upset daughter. "Britanny, calm down! I'm sure it can't be that bad. After all, Ranma loves you with all his heart- I somehow doubt that a little thing like ailurophobia will keep you apart."

Now, whenever Ranma is involved, bad timing to an extreme becomes quite commonplace. Maybe it's a universal law of some sort, or maybe some deity out there just enjoys messing with the pigtailed boy. Whatever the reason, this situation was certainly no exception.

* * *

Groaning and rubbing his throbbing head, Ranma opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling once more. 'Agh...what hit me? Did that stupid tomboy manage to sneak up on me or something? Where the heck am I now? ...I've been hangin' around Ryouga too much. Doesn't look like anything dangerous is...wait a sec...cat! There's a GIANT CAT out there!'

Jumping to his feet, the pigtailed boy looked about in alarm. Finding no immediate feline threats, he relaxed slightly. 'I guess it's gone. But where IS this place?'

Glancing around uneasily at the various computers and other sciencey type things which were beyond his ability to name that decorated the room, his ears perked up as the last of the bleariness left him and he heard shouting from somewhere nearby. Deciding to investigate, he stepped lightly in the direction the voice had originated from.

"...I somehow doubt that a little thing like ailurophobia will keep you apart."

Taking cover behind a row of computers displaying various statistics, he cautiously peaked around the corner. From his current position, Ranma could make out a redheaded woman who looked vaguely familiar (he was running way too fast to really notice Julia earlier) for some reason and a blonde haired girl with glasses. From somewhere off to the left where he couldn't quite see, another voice, obviously female, spoke out, "I-I guess you're right. But it's just...I wish Ranma was here right now..."

Blinking in confusion, the Saotome heir was caught off guard. 'Someone out there knows who I am...I wonder who it could be? Might as well find out.'

Stepping out from his hiding place, he displayed his trademark confident smirk. No need to show any signs of uncertainty or weakness to a potential enemy, after all. Casually sticking his hands in the pockets of his black silk pants, he began to greet the strange people. "I don't s'pose one of you would be willing to tell me where I-"

His voice died in his throat when he caught sight of the third speaker. It was the giant cat! It was still looking for him! 'Oh Gods, it's gonna eat me!'

Looking toward the sound of the familiar voice, the three women were surprised to see Ranma up and about so quickly. Britanny was the first to react, overjoyed that her beloved was awake and apparently alright. Pouncing on the still petrified martial artist, she caught him up in a bone crushing hug and began to nuzzle his cheek, purring happily.

That was enough to jar the sometimes girl into action against the perceived feline threat. 'It's...it's trying to eat me! Oh HELL no!'

"C-C-CAAAAAAAAAT! AAAAAAAAHHH!

Breaking free of the affectionate werecheetah's embrace, he backpedaled several feet before twisting around and flat out running as if the hounds, er, cats of hell were chasing him- and embedding himself face first into a wall.

Wincing in sympathy, the trio of Diggers began to slowly approach the once again unconscious pigtailed boy. Shaking her head at her adopted daughter's dejected look, Julia sweatdropped. "Erm, okay...well, this is just one of those things a couple needs to work out every once in a while."

Staring incredulously at her mother, Gina drawled out, "You mean blind and all consuming terror?"

The sweatdrop on the Armsmaster's head doubled in size. "Yes, well...I think we should go see your father about this," she finished lamely.

* * *

"So you see how this fear of cats can be a problem, right?"

Deigning not to respond, Dr. Theodore Diggers simply made a noncommittal sound and returned to examining his son-in-law, who was sprawled out on the couch before him. "Hmm..."

Resisting the urge to clock her dear husband, Julia crossed her arms over her chest and settled for glaring at him instead. "Well? Do you see anything unusual?"

"Hmm..."

Her left eye starting to tick sporadically, the Armsmaster of Jade began to grind her teeth in frustration. "Is there anything you can do to help him?"

"Hmm..."

That did it. She was going to get a straight answer out of him if she had to break both his arms to do it! She would make it up to him later, of course. Before she could locate a suitable blunt object, however, she was beaten to the punch. "Dad! How's Ranma! What's wrong with him! Is he going to be alright! Well? Answer me!"

At this point, however, Theo found it very difficult to speak while three hundred pounds of anxious werecheetah held him up in the air, shaking him like a rag doll. Gina, being the voice of reason, came to her father's rescue. "Brit, calm down! Dad's going to explain everything soon. Right, Dad?" she finished with a pointed look towards the dazed aura mage.

Britanny relented and put him down when he regained enough of his senses to nod quickly in affirmation. Stumbling slightly before straightening and regaining his composure, he cleared his throat. "Yes, right. From what I can tell, some very potent magic was used on Ranma recently. Magic strong enough to send him into the- or at least, his future. That is to say, this Ranma is not our Ranma. This Ranma was somehow catapulted through time, and he...for lack of a better word, replaced our Ranma."

Sighing at all the confused looks directed toward him, he began to thoughtfully scratch his beard. "Er...in other words, this is a Ranma from several years in the past. He has taken the place of the Ranma of our present- presumably in an effort by the Time Stream to prevent irreversible damage to itself."

A look of comprehension dawned on the three women's faces. Gina was the first to voice a comment. "So...if this is Ranma from several years ago, what's with the phobia he has of cats? I don't remember Ranma looking even remotely uncomfortable around Brit before."

"Hmm...I'm not really sure. It could be that some time before he met Britanny, and obviously some time after whenever he came from, he managed to cure his fear. As to how he got it in the first place...I don't know. Ranma never really has talked much about his past...perhaps you can ask him? For now, the best I can do is to put a temporary block on it. We don't need him freaking out again while we try to sort out this mess, after all."

While Theo began to cast his spell, Britanny had mixed feelings. On one hand, she was glad that Ranma wouldn't be scared of her anymore. She didn't think she could stand that. On the other hand, however... 'So this Ranma...isn't mine? I never even met him until he was nineteen. Does this mean that I...that I just lost my husband?"

Julia, sensing her daughter's distress and correctly guessing its cause via that special sense mothers seem to have, pulled her adopted daughter into a comforting hug. "Don't worry dear. I'm sure we'll be able to find a way to return things to normal. And if we can't, well...you won him over once, and you can do it again."

* * *

AN: I know, I'm mean for cutting it off here. But I promise, the next chapter will be out within two days. Speaking of the next chapter- Ranma finally wakes up, and the surprises continue to slap him in the face. I'll be introducing my very first original char, like I said, for practice. Eh...I think this chapter is a bit choppy in places, but I dunno. Please send some constructive criticism my way. I appreciate it, thanks in advance! And please point out any little breaks in the plot that I forget. Can't have that in my stories, now can I? I'm trying to get better, not worse. Hehehe. Oh, and the reason for the title of this story should be obvious by now. Just look at the last line of the story. 


	3. So I Married A Werecheetah

Disclaimer: I don't own Gold Digger or Ranma ½. Could I possibly be any clearer than that?

AN: For those of you who didn't somehow get it, here's a slight recap of the last two chapters: Ranma was hurled into the future by the Nanban mirror. The Time Stream itself intervened to prevent one helluva disaster (TWO chaos magnets existing at one time? The world might not survive!) by replacing the future Ranma with the one from the past. That should clear up any confusion- I hope. Now to answer some Reviews.

**Jason the Anon**: Britanny never reverted to her human form because she wasn't sure just WHY Ranma was afraid- until Gina explained it. During that time, they all thought Ranma was gonna be out for a good deal longer. Unfortunately, his stronger than usual constitution allowed the pigtailed one to awaken early. That's why Brit didn't change to human form when she found out about his fear of cats. When he showed up from his hiding place, she was too excited about seeing him to think about it, so she remained in her hybrid form. Big mistake. Now that Theo blocked off his fear, it shouldn't be a problem- unless it wears off somehow (maniacal laughter-BWAHAHAHA!).

**Migele**: meh, this story is concentrated on romance- that's just how it's gonna be. The point is to get practice, after all. But yeah, I'll try to relax the story a bit in this chapter and/or the next.

**Wonderbee31**: No, the older Ranma hasn't been sent back to Nerima. For now, he is...um...nonexistent I suppose you could say- even though the younger version is simply taking his place. It's confusing. And there is a reason I can't have the older Ranma back in Nerima- you'll see why sometime in the next few chapters.

**Innortal**: Hmm...now that you mention it, I think I'll go back and add a 'Several minutes previous' or something. Hehe. Thanks for pointing that out.

**General**: Thank you for the reviews and the suggestions. Em...If there's anything you think I should put in, feel free to mention it. I'll see if I can add it. Since this is really just practice (although it is a LOT of fun!), as long as it doesn't interfere with the main dynamic I don't care. Heck, even creating new characters on the fly shouldn't be too much of a problem! Now, onward to victory! Uh, the story I mean.

* * *

Falling Once More

Chapter 3: So I Married A Werecheetah...

* * *

Internally wincing at the dull ache that usually resulted from a bout of forced 'sleep', Ranma raised a hand to his head in irritation. Or at least he would have, if not for the fact that he couldn't move a muscle. Trapped in the inky blackness between the wakefulness and unconsciousness, he attempted to will his body into motion. After several minutes, however, it became apparent that his efforts were futile, and he instead turned his frayed concentration toward manipulating his senses.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, he was able to pick out seemingly disembodied voices, floating around in the darkness around him. "...should probably get him back to your room..."

"...be awake in a few hours, I think..."

"...you shouldn't worry, that block will hold for at least..."

"...explain it all to Brianna whenever she gets home..."

"...won't be able to resist. It's just a matter of time before he..."

"...meant to be together, I'm sure of it!"

The voices ended abruptly, leaving him alone with his thoughts. 'Stupid Pops...wish he'd just shut up and lemme get some sleep...and that tomboy...damn mallet...maybe Kasumi will make my favorite tonight...she always does when I ask...better get in some practice while the peace lasts...but I'm so tired...'

Then, the strange sensation of moving without being in control of one's own body. Panicking, Ranma forced himself to concentrate on his surroundings once more. He could feel himself being carried gently by strong arms, pressed against something soft and warm. Strangely, the feeling comforted him and quelled the rising alarm. Somehow, he found enough control over his body to snuggle closer to the source of the warmth. 'Tired...wanna go back to sleep...so warm...'

(AN: Maybe, just maybe, it sounds stupid to you- but hey, I'm trying here!)

* * *

With a groan of protest, Ranma awakened to strange surroundings for the third time that day. An attempt to sit up was foiled by an unusual weight on his chest. With a sharp intake of breath, the pigtailed boy hesitantly raised a hand to the offending object. 'Hmm...feels like..aw no.'

Gathering his courage, he slowly lifted his head to look directly into the smiling face of the giant cat from before. Said 'cat' had her arms wrapped tightly around his midsection, nuzzling her face against his chest and purring up a storm. 'Hell...I'm in hell...that explains it. Happosai, because of you I've seen- er, nevermind. Feh, I really need to stay away from pig boy.'

Sighing in resignation, he waited for the familiar terror to consume him. And waited. And waited. And waited some more. 'I'm...not scared? But how? There's a HUGE cat right on top of me, and she looks...er...asleep. Wait- she?'

Allowing his eyes to rove off to the left and down the length of the feline in question revealed that she was, indeed, a she. Blushing furiously, Ranma came to a sudden realization. 'I'm in bed with a...catgirl! Akane's gonna pound me! No, the cat's gonna wake up and eat me! ...Akane'll pound me, and THEN the cat's gonna eat me!'

Frantically searching for any means of escape, his attention was caught by something that made his breath catch in his throat and his mouth go dry. Reaching a trembling hand to the nightstand next to him, he gingerly took hold of the item- a recent looking photo, lovingly set within an expertly crafted and valuable looking frame. But that was not what caught his interest- no, it was what the scene it depicted that had him dizzy with confusion. It was him.

At least, a more mature version of himself. He looked to be a few inches taller, and he had definitely filled out in muscle. His pigtail had grown half a foot longer, and hung over his shoulder, draped across the expensive looking tuxedo he wore. Wincing at the still fresh memory of the failed wedding, his gaze wandered to the figure standing beside his photographic counterpart. To his surprise and growing trepidation, it was the very same cat-like girl that was currently latched onto him. The real shock to his system came from the elaborate Western style wedding dress she was clothed in as she rested a hand on 'tuxedo' Ranma's arm.

The final blow to his already battered mentality, however, came when he found he could not will himself to tear his gaze away from her. Everything in the picture served only to accentuate her beauty. The way the sunlight glistened in her eyes, causing them to sparkle like the most precious of gemstones. The care so evident in the way she looked toward tuxedo Ranma. Her radiant smile, full of joy, setting everything aglow. And there it was, on her finger- the simple bejeweled gold band that represented something words alone could not express.

His head swimming from the implications, Ranma forced himself to look away from the picture. Focusing his sight upward at the ceiling, he drew deep, calming breaths. 'Damn...I don't want to look again...but at the same time, I do. Either way, I have to know.'

Summoning what was left of his nerve, he gazed directly at himself once more. As he had suspected, a plain gold ring adorned his finger. Gently placing the photograph back in its original place on the nightstand, the Saotome heir faced the ceiling once more and began to sort through his jumbled thoughts. 'Alright, so...I'm fairly sure that the Nanban mirror sent me somewhere into the future. There's a picture here with me, or at least an older me, at a wedding- MY wedding unless I miss my guess. But that means that this girl is...is...'

"My wife..."

Ranma's eyes widened when he felt his 'wife' beginning to stir. 'Oops, guess I said that out loud. Oh, well, this had to happen sooner or later...'

The apprehension he felt continued to grow as he waited for his apparent spouse to completely awaken...

(AN: I...I don't know, I just can't get it to come out the way I want. Maybe with some more experience- but hopefully it's at least decent. Lemme know what you think in the Reviews, okay?)

* * *

Raising her head from her favorite 'pillow', Britanny yawned widely and brought a hand up to rub her eyes. Blinking to bring her vision into focus, she came face to face with the man she had pledged her heart to one week prior.

Blue eyes met green, and time seemed to stand still around them.

Green eyes lit up with unmistakable love and devotion.

Blue eyes twitched slightly due to a combination of fear and nervousness.

Green eyes slowly closed in on Blue, intent on showing just how deep that love ran.

Blue eyes widened considerably, pupils dilating in abject terror.

Green eyes squeezed shut in anticipation, reaching their destination and...falling forward into the now vacant pillow.

Quickly sitting up and looking around for her errant husband, she nearly jumped when a voice called out from several feet behind her, "Uh...hi? Hehe...oooh boy..."

Blink-blinking, the young werecheetah tilted her head in puzzlement before remembering what had occurred several hours previous. 'That's right...he's not my husband...not yet, anyway.'

Attempting to hide the grin breaking out on her face and failing miserably, she responded in a sultry voice, "Why...hello. Ehehehe."

Her grin became even more pronounced as the pigtailed boy smiled back nervously. 'Oooooh yes, this is going to be fun!'

She stood up and stretched languidly, causing certain parts of her body to become more prominent and consequently drawing a trickle of blood from Ranma's nose before sauntering toward the flustered martial artist. "Soooo...now that we're both awake...what do you want to do, hmm?"

"I, uh, that is, um-"

Giggling at his antics, Britanny came to a stop scant inches from her now teenage spouse. Leaning forward, she brought her face as close to his as possible without actually touching and whispered huskily, "Well?"

Scrabbling away as fast as he could, Ranma found himself literally backed into a corner. Gulping audibly, he nearly whimpered as the amorous lycanthrope began to advance on him once more, shrinking further into himself at every step.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who you ask, just as Britanny closed in on her prey, the infamous Saotome stomach decided to make its presence known by unleashing a monstrous growl that froze the Diggers girl in place. "Umm...mind if I get somethin' to eat?"

'I guess no matter the age, Ranma will always be Ranma.'

Stifling a fit of laughter at the pigtailed boy's familiar behavior, she managed to get out between breaths, "S-sure! It looks like it's about dinner time anyway- c'mon."

Offering a hand to the still nervous Ranma, who accepted after a moment of hesitation, she easily pulled the smaller teen to his feet and ushered him to the door. They made their way toward the stairs in uncomfortable silence until the time traveling aquatranssexual began to nervously scratch his head before stuttering out, "H-hey, uh...um..."

Shooting a blank look towards her...husband? Boyfriend? Whatever, it took Britanny several moments to figure out what was wrong. 'Oh, that's right! He doesn't even know my name. Looks like I have to start from scratch...'

Favoring him with one of her most winning smiles, which eased some of his tension, she informed him, "Britanny. My name's Britanny. My friends call me Brit or Cheetah, though. Um, in case you're wondering- I'm a werecheetah." At Ranma's clueless look, she elaborated, "Kind of like a werewolf, except- well, with a cheetah."

Nodding his head in appreciation and relaxing somewhat, Ranma continued, "Uh, Britanny-" "C'mon, at least call me Brit!" "-Er, right. Brit, I think you and me need to talk about-"

Already knowing what he was going to say (after all, it was the very same line of thought she herself had been following earlier), she cut him off. "Don't worry about that just yet. It can wait 'til after we eat, alright? Besides, I know how you are if you don't get food in your stomach- and lot's of it!"

Blushing at the embarrassing, and admittedly true statement, Ranma bowed his head and mumbled out a half hearted attempt at self defense. "Sorry 'bout this, it's just that I-"

Waving a hand in dismissal, Britanny headed him off once more. "Don't worry about it. And besides," she continued with a confident smirk, "I eat more than you anyway."

Blinking rapidly with his jaw slightly agape, Ranma decided to do what came naturally whenever a challenge presented itself. Returning the taller lycanthrope's confident smirk with one of his own, he countered, "Yeah, right. The only person in the world that can eat more than me is my Pops, and even he has a hard time doin' it!"

The werecheetah's smile broadened to Cheshire proportions as she leaned over slightly, looming over the shorter teen. Shadows framed her face, revealing only that maniacal grin. "Oh reeeeeally? Well then, how about a little bet? Whoever eats the most wins. We'll discuss the terms of victory before we start- or are you afraid?"

While the pigtailed boy certainly did NOT like the look his 'wife' was giving him, his bravery had been called into question and he would not back down! Powering his arrogance up to levels that could drive even a god into a blind rage in an effort to hide his growing trepidation, he shot back, "You're on!"

'Poor Ranma will never know what hit 'em! Hehe, it's too easy to push his buttons once you get to know him. I'm definitely gonna enjoy this!'

Starting out for the kitchen once more, the pair remained quiet. Ranma stole nervous glances toward Britanny as she continued to smile in a way that did not bode well for the pigtailed martial artist. Making their way downstairs, the silence was broken once again, this time by the werecheetah. "Hey, Ranma...why don't you just sit on the sofa there and watch some TV while I get the food ready?"

Frowning incredulously, the young Saotome heir paused for the span of several seconds before nodding his head uncertainly. "Um...you sure ya don't want any help in there? I'm not the best cook in the world, but I'm not too shabby either."

Eyes sparkling with affection, causing Ranma to take an involuntary step backward, Britanny resisted the urge to hug the sweet but overly tense boy. "Don't worry, I can handle it! You just make yourself comfortable out here for a while, 'kay?"

"Uh sure Brit. Just lemme know if you need help or anythin', alright?"

"Sure."

* * *

**Click.**

"Get 'em, Sailor Moon!" "Moon...Tiara...Magic!" "NooooOOOOOOO!"

'Too...girly.'

**Click.**

"Thou art a knave and a vile fiend!" "Hmph. And thou art a defiler of pigs!"

'If I wanna hear bad Shakespearean, I'll go back home and visit Kuno!'

**Click.**

"...quickly soothes the ITCHING, the BURNING, the CHAFING, the..."

'Don't know, don't wanna know.'

**Click.**

"Chet Vanderbolt welcomes you to the Channel Four News! In today's news, a recent study shows that referring to one's self in the third person is an indication of critically low self esteem, and therefore potentially hazardous to one's health. Hmm, this interests Chet!"

'I hate the news...'

**Click.**

"...and so, tonight we will discuss the mating habits of the fastest land animal known to man- none other than the African Cheetah!"

'GAH! I'll just pretend that never came up...'

**Click.**

"Hey Ranma, what'cha watchin'?"

Shouting something unintelligible and jumping a good twenty feet straight up, the Saotome heir clung to the ceiling with the tenacity of a drowning rat. "N-nothin'! Nothin at all!"

Quirking an eyebrow at the pigtailed boy's strange behavior, Britanny drawled out, "Ooooh kay. Well, the food's all ready. Now, as for the terms of victory..." The maniacal and downright scary grin from before manifested itself once again. "If you win...I have to take you out on a date. But if I win, you have to take me out on one instead. Do you accept, or are you...chicken?"

Instantly dropping down from his tactically advantageous position above the werecheetah,

Ranma sputtered momentarily before puffing out his chest and declaring with as much confidence as he could muster, "I accept all challenges! And I don't lose!"

'Heh, I'll show her! Ranma Saotome doesn't...wait a sec...'

Eyes widening to their widest in sudden realization, the pigtailed idiot, er, martial artist began to windmill his arms in panic. "W-wait! I-I didn't-"

Pouncing on the still shocked witless teen, the larger lycanthrope easily dragged the smaller boy towards the kitchen. "Too late! You agreed, so there's no backing out now! Mwahahahahaha- cough, er, let's enjoy our meal!"

Whimpering in- no, not fear, Ranma was NOT deathly afraid of the admittedly beautiful cat like woman dragging him toward certain doom, uh, his last meal, er, dinner! Yes, dinner. Whimpering in _a clear lack of enthusiasm_, the shellshocked Saotome heir began to pray.

* * *

Approximately one hour later, a bedraggled and piteously groaning Ranma was carried back to the living room sofa by a triumphant looking Britanny. "Too bad we ran out of tuna yesterday."

A small frown marred her features for an instant before a happy smile quickly replaced it. "Oh, well. I won, and that means you get to take me out on a date, you lucky devil!"

She was unaffected by the rather pained moan that was her only answer. "Hehe, you shouldn't have eaten so much. Looks like I get to nurse you back to health, huh? Ehehehe..."

This time Ranma found it within himself to twitch feebly in protest. "Now now, stop moving around. You want to get better so you can take me on that date tomorrow, right?"

At the pigtailed teen's gurgle of reply, Britanny nodded her head cheerfully. "Yeah, we're going to have lots and lots of 'fun'," she purred out. Mercifully, Ranma passed out at this point. Pouting cutely, the affectionate werecheetah grumbled to herself, "Well dang! Oh, well, it shouldn't be too much longer now. I just hope SHE doesn't show up before I manage to get my stud back..."

* * *

AN: Sorry bout getting this out a bit later than I said, but for some reason wouldn't lemme log on when I tried. Um, once again I apologize for my warped sense of humor. It doesn't help that I got zero hours of sleep before I wrote this. Ahahahaha! ...Right. No, at the end there Brit is not referring to Brianna. You'll see... As usual, Reviews and especially advice/constructive criticism are very much appreciated. Eh, I think I'll do chapter 4 of this and then chapter 3 of WKLY. I've had chapter 3 planned out for a looong time, and part of chapter 4. Best get ta' crackin'! Oh, Question! Unphased is a word, isn't it? According to Word it's not, but I coulda sworn I've heard it before...bah, whatever. 


	4. Terms of Victory or Endearment Part 1

Disclaimer: ... ... ... ... ...If you do not understand by now, I fear you never will. Hang thy head in shame...

AN: Um yeah, I'm tryin' to respond to reviews more now. Sooo here this is! (Please note I wrote the first part of this including the beginning notes over a month ago- its old, sorry)

**Pale Wolf:**Eh yeah, I thought about that. But, well...the Diggers are very used to outright weird things happening aaaand...with Ranma in their lives, I figure the strangeness factor would have quadrupled. Besides- Britanny's husband isn't exactly wiped out of existence- more like he lost a few years, and his memory. He's basically the same person, he's right there...no need to freak out. Mwaha yes, the Doomsday Slime. I have 'things' planned for that monstrosity...ah, by the way, I wish you'd continue Revolution Against Infinity. So there. Yeah.

**KaOn KaI:**Thank you, I appreciate that.

**ss4-link: **Glad you enjoy it. Um check out they make GD and several other nice lil series. Like Ninja High School. Which ties into GD fairly well I think- after all, they did combine the two at one time...also, hit me with another random quote in your next review!

**General: **Aw man, I think I'm gonna need to change the rating to M soon- I dun wanna! Eh, there will be some little quirks you may notice in this story. The reason- well, it IS just practice. I'll be doing some weird stuff and pulling strings to make things happen the way I want, to make the storyline more convenient for...well...myself. However, if you find any lil quirks, please be so kind as to point them out to me anyway. It might be just a mistake on my part- wouldn't surprise me -.-

Nooow...unless I lose my patience partway through, this chapter SHOULD be longer than any of the previous. I'm debating wether or not to bring Brianna in this chapter, obviously that will be resolved by the time you are reading this...um...some other things im considering doing, but I can't tell ya- obviously, I'd be ruining the plot o.O

**Note! **In this story, don't even think of Strype. He basically doesn't exist 'cause Britanny never met him. She met Ranma first. In fact, because I'm so mean and spiteful, Ranma and Britanny's first date took place on the day she would have met Strype in the original GD universe. Nya ha! No, I'm not really gonna be mean to Strype- eh, the thing with Aebra still went on, Strype still kicked that evil empire's ass, died, was resurrected, etc.- only this time, he and Archon fell in love during that lil' skirmish. There, he's happy, she's happy, we're all happy. Oh yeah...Tanya still went mad with jealousy...and promptly regretted it when she tried to remove Archon. What I'm trying to say is this: Ranma is pretty much taking the place of Strype, with, of course, little twists scattered throughout. Even though this is just a practice story, I WILL finish it...I have the ending planned out. Just wondering how long I should make this? We'll see...now, read! I command it!

**'Nother Note!** Argh, sorry, couldn't resist. I have no problems with Strype, he's a great guy 'n all...but...well, in basically all Ranma/GD crossovers, I simply think of him as an...obstacle between Ranma and Britanny. Can't help it. And obstacles is for killing! Even in the original GD universe, I don't think too highly of the Brit/Strype pairing. Just my personal opinion they should've found another werecheetah out there somewhere- a real one! NOT Raphiel. Feh. No comment on him.For those of you who like that pairing, and especially those who like Strype- oh, well. My fanfiction, my plot, my opinion. Sorry. Now- read, and suffer! Er, or...I meant to say or...ehehe.

* * *

Falling Once More

Chapter 4: Terms of Victory, er, Endearment! Part 1 of 2

* * *

Later that night, Ranma shifted uncomfortably in the bed that Britanny insisted they share. Stifling a forlorn sigh, he thought back to the conversation that had taken place over that very subject. 'How did she talk me into this? ...Oh, yeah...'

"W-what?"

"You heard me, Ranma. None of the guest rooms are prepared, so it looks like you and I are sharing a room tonight. Not that **I** mind," she finished with a purr, leaning forward and attempting to nuzzle the pigtailed boy- who instantly hopped back several paces, shaking his head vigorously and making warding gestures.

"B-but I can't do that!"

"Oh, why not? Your not scared, are you?"

Against his better judgement (if you can call it that), the Saotome heir stood ramrod straight and replied in an even tone, "I'm not scared of nothin'."

Smiling lecherously at the oh so easy to manipulate teen, Britanny decided to tease him just a little more. "So you're okay with it then?"

Twitching ever so slightly, Ranma nodded his affirmation, still standing rigidly at attention.

The mischievous glint in the taller lycanthrope's eye brightened alarmingly. "Good. By the way, I hope you don't mind- I like to sleep in the nude."

That was enough to get a reaction out of the pigtailed boy, who sputtered incoherently for several moments in an attempt to reclaim his lost wits. He was 'helped' along by Britanny herself, who struck a sexy pose and winked at him suggestively. A single drop of blood dripped from his left nostril like a leaky faucet before his abused brain decided to turn the valve up to full blast. The result, quite predictably, was the eruption of a crimson fountain before Ranma was spared any more embarassment by virtue of being unconscious...again.

He would have laughed if it had happened to anybody else. But no, as usual it HAD to happen to him of all people. Casting a wary glance toward his slumbering 'wife', who somehow once again had her head resting on his chest as she purred quite audibly, he began to compare his current sleeping arrangement to that of the Tendo Dojo.

Alright, so the purring and occasional accidental (or was it...?) groping was vaguely disturbing- but it was still better than his old man's snoring. Nothing could ever possibly outdo the horrors of a sleepless night spent trying to drown out the background noise reminiscent of World War 2. Then again...

He frowned suspiciously at the sleeping werecheetah, whose hand was inching dangerously close to uncomfortable places. Grumbling to himself, he gently removed the offending digit and placed it at Britanny's side. Five seconds later, it was back to its original place, once more creeping toward its goal. 'Oh, well...at least it's not as bad as earlier,' he thought with a shudder.

True to her word, Britanny had indeed stripped off all her clothing except for her underwear. Ranma had nearly shouted in joy when she simply crawled into bed and fell asleep. That was until he realized two things. One, she happened to like snuggling up to him while she slept. Number two occurred to him as he tried in vain to dislodge the slumbering (at least he thought) werecheetah. Apparently, she had a tendency to shrug off the blankets in her sleep. This had, on more than one occasion, led to Ranma seeing more of his bedmate than he cared to (further details are denied! I am still trying to keep this rated T...trying, and I think failing...).

It definitely felt odd to him, being so close to the two things he was most afr...ah...cautious about- cats and girls. The familiar fear just wasn't there. Britanny had explained to him about the block on his Neko-ken induced fear, and he had found out he wasn't even in Japan anymore. That and the fact that he was an unknown number of years into his own future made him relatively safe from harm at the hands of righteously angered fiances. Or so he hoped.

Relocating the snoozing werecat's roaming hand once more, he relaxed his body and mind in preparation of another long and sleepless night.

* * *

Enjoying a late breakfast and reading the morning newspaper, over the top of which he got a good view of his wife training outside, Dr. Theodore Diggers craned his neck toward the sound of approaching footsteps. A few moments later his adopted daughter Britanny strolled into the kitchen with an unmoving Ranma casually draped over one shoulder. Sweatdropping at the spectacle, he calmly addressed the couple, "Good morning Britanny, Ranma," nodding to each in turn before continuing to read his paper. 

"Morning, Dad!" was the resident werecheetah's cheerful reply. Her pigtailed burden twitched slightly and mumbled something unintelligible. Giggling at her currently teen aged spouse's antics, Britanny dumped said spouse into a chair, where he immediately slumped forward bonelessly. Quirking an eyebrow, Theo could no longer contain his curiosity. "Britanny...what happened to Ranma?"

After blink-blinking in surprise at the unexpected question, she grinned impishly and replied, "I don't know. I slept great last night, but for some reason Ranma here couldn't fall asleep. Can't imagine why."

An almost accusing groan was the Saotome heir's only response, while the head of the Diggers household merely nodded in understanding with a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine once he eats something."

At the mention of food, the time traveling martial artist did indeed perk up, casting his bloodshot gaze toward the taller lycanthrope hopefully.

Shaking her head mirthfully, Britanny stifled another bout of laughter directed toward her quasi-husband's antics. Smirking in a way that wasn't even slightly remorseful, she addressed the barely conscious pigtailed boy. "I didn't keep you awake last night, did I? I'm so sorry... now, what would you like? We've got..."

Pointedly ignoring mock apology, Ranma concentrated what was left of his coherent thought towards the single most important thing in his now bleary and thoroughly sleep deprived world- food! The pigtailed boy began to drool uncontrollably as Britanny continued to list food items, slowly covering the kitchen table in a small river of saliva. Theo frowned darkly once he noticed that his newspaper was getting wet. Once more peering over its top to identify the source of the moisture, he spotted his son-in-law and sighed wearily. Clearing his throat to catch the younger man's attention brooked no results after several attempts, and the tick in the Diggers Patriarch's eyebrow was very noticable at this point. Finally reaching the end of his proverbial rope, he barely suppressed the urge to employ his flaming skull technique- no, this situation called for subtlety. After all, the poor boy was probably still in shock after all that happened... too bad that wasn't going to deter the irked Aura Mage from exacting some slight form of revenge for the soiled newspaper.

Glancing around for a suitable weapon, he nearly grinned evilly when he spotted a blueberry muffin situated innocently on a nearby counter top. Instead settling for a slight victory smirk, he channeled a bit of magic into his instrument of vengeance and propelled it towards the near-comatose Saotome heir. With an audible 'Fwump!' like a vacuum cleaner being plugged up (in this case, it wasn't too far from the truth), the muffin lodged itself in the unsuspecting boy's piehole. Startled, Ranma windmilled his arms as his chair leaned back dangerously for a moment before unceremoniously spilling its contents on the kitchen floor. 'Haha, direct hit! I've still got it!'

Whirling around at the loud 'THUMP!' coming from the general vicinity behind her, Britanny blinked stupidly at the sight she beheld- Ranma spread eagled on the ground, eyes swirling in dizziness, with a... muffin stuck in his mouth? "Well Ranma, if you were that hungry you could've just asked for a snack or something while you waited."

Her only response was the long suffering groan of a man who was the very embodiment of the words "Why Me?"

* * *

AN: Sigh... I apologize sincerely for this move- I know you'll probably hate it(Oh, no! A Cliffhanger!). But... I'm cutting this chapter off here and splitting it in two- the second half is gonna involve preparations for, and the um... 'date' itself. For once I plan on going all out with detailing and such... in other words, it'll be ridiculously long if I do it right. You mayvery well notice the two parts will be writtencompletely different... that's intended, if you don't notice it then I failed.Hopefully I don't screw up... I haven't written anything in a fair while, so what little skill I managed to develop may very well have evaporated over time (cries). Tsk, this one's gonna be a pain in the...er, right. Off to work I go! (What the HECK did FFNet do to my chapter! Agh! I had to go back and edit everything cause it was completely F'd up... whatever.) 

This chapter (both parts) is being Dedicated(I know I know, I capitalize ALL words I think are important, alright!) to Ryan L. Spradling- thanks for wakin' me up! Lol. Remember to check out his story (Trails of a Nekowarrior) when you've got the time... I know I know, so many good stories to read and so little time :)


	5. Terms of Victory or Endearment Part 2

Disclaimer: (Begins an intricate pattern of hand gestures, animatedly signing out the words that are too sacred to be spoken by man.)

AN: Ryan L. Spradling (who I shall simply refer to as Ryan from now on... typing out your whole name is a bit of a bother o.O), in answer to your question- I'm not really sure, either I read it before I got my account OR I read it after I got my account but before I started writing reviews. Yep, that's right, I'm ashamed to admit that I only started writing reviews like a month or two ago. Em...as a result, I have to go back and find all the stories I liked and start leaving reviews (and there's a long list- too bad it's imaginary and written in chinese). Ranma fanfics aren't the only category, either... there's at least half a dozen different ones I need to pick through (bleeeeh). But yeah, I went back and left a review for your story- and as usual, look forward to seeing anything to do with Gold Digger, Nuku Nuku, Akane bashing, or any combination of the afore mentioned. To clarify why, exactly, Brit isn't too concerned that her husband has been replaced with a younger version of himself... well, considering her background, stranger things have happened. And think of it like this- your mind tells you that they're gone... your heart tells you they're right here next to you. Which do you think Brit is more likely to listen to? On a much less happier note... Brit was teased a lot in school 'cause of what she is. Understand?

Mmm... one more thing. And yes, I know I ramble on a lot- it can't be helped! Anyway... I have so many story ideas floating around it's ridiculous- one pile of note cards dedicated to just that! Don't blame me if the urge to write somethin' new takes over- again, it can't be helped! One of 'em is in the works as we speak... uh... read... type... whatever. It features the only Ranma/Nerima cast pairing I can stand besides Kasumi. Care to take a guess what it is? Enough mindless dribble! Or should I say... let the true mindless dribble commence? The story begins! Behold, the obligatory flashback chapter opener! No, really, let's get serious now... just for now... (and thus I prove that there IS a such thing as trying too hard, and that I'm out to annoy you all!)

* * *

Falling Once More 

Chapter 4: Terms of Victory, Er, Endearment Part 2

* * *

_A small stream wound its way down from the mountains, snaking through forests and around hills, between valleys and over lush farmland. It continued, serene and unbroken, over several miles before reaching the outskirts of Kyoto. Here, the aquatic drifter found its ultimate destination amidst the glossy surface of a fair sized lake, undisturbed save for the occasional light breeze playing across its surface and producing gently rolling waves._

_Today, however, the lake's tranquility was broken by a tiny pebble dancing across its quiescent expanse, causing ripples to mar the once tranquil waters. The pebble was shortly followed by another, but the small stone mirrored its thrower's half hearted attempt, skipping feebly and putting no real effort into catching its predecessor. A bored sigh could be heard from the lake's northern shore, and if one looked closely they could just make out the humanoid form reclining in the tall grass._

_"Dangit... I can't believe I forgot my fishing gear. It's so boring out here... I hope Gina finishes whatever she's doing soon."_

_Letting out a cute yawn for emphasis, Britanny Elin Diggers stretched languildly before rolling over on her side and propping her elbow on the soft ground, resting her cheek against the palm of her hand. True, it was a beautiful day outside, and she couldn't have asked for more peaceful surroundings... or better fishing conditions. Once more grumbling quietly about her lack of foresight, the young werecheetah elected to take a short nap to pass the time. Relaxing in the tall grass, with the sun vibrantly illuminating her golden fur, the resemblance between her and an actual cheetah was undeniably strong._

_Unfortunately, she wasn't nearly as carefree as she appeared to be. Internally, she was struggling, searching for something important beyond words. It confused her, how something could be so all consuming yet completely unknown. The only clue she had to go on was the dream. In recent months, her mind would fabricate strangely vivid fantasies while she slept. While the details constantly shifted, the same theme always played itself out- loneliness._

_This time, the dream took her back to her high school days. The hallway outside of her Junior year homeroom class stretched in either direction, perfectly detailed. Only... the people were different. Their faces were twisted with hate, revulsion, scorn... deformed representations of what they must have felt towards her on the inside. She could see their lips moving, carelessly tossing cruel and heart rending insults at her. Everything, the entire world, seemed to have gone mute- she couldn't hear them, but that didn't mean they weren't there, mercilessly tearing at her emotions and reveling in her pain. Collapsing to her knees, she covered her ears and ducked her head in an attempt to drown out the silent cacophony. With all her heart, she wished that there was at least one person that could make all the hurt go away. Just as she was about to give up hope, her greatest desire unrequited, something prompted her to look up. Her wild green eyes, shimmering with tears both shed and unshed, met with twin pools of sapphire that seemed to mirror her own inner turmoil perfectly. All the anguish seemed to melt away, leaving only an odd sense of contentment. "Gina, i-is that... you," she prodded softly, but received no answer._

_Yet... those eyes weren't her like sister's, deep and marked with a powerful intellect. They were a much lighter cerulean, untamed and free as the cloudless sky that seemed to be trapped within those captivating orbs. Mere seconds stretched into eternity as she continued to meet that unwavering gaze, mesmerized. Finally, she gathered the will to ask the question burning in her thoughts. "Who... who are you? Why are you in my dream," she asked tentatively, her voice dropping to barely a whisper, "and are you real?"_

_The eyes seemed to smile kindly at her in reply, giving her as much warmth and comfort as possible before fading away. "Hey, wait! Come back! Please..."_

_**Everyone has their own incubus. Most simply have something or someone to keep it at bay. Why don't you?**_

_With a sharp intake of breath, Britanny sat up in alarm, instantly awake_ _and alert. "That one has got to be the worst yet," she mused aloud to herself, bringing a trembling hand up to her temple. 'Those eyes... they were just part of the nightmare... they don't really exist...'_

_For some reason, that line of thought caused a sharp ache within her, so she pushed it to the back of her mind for the moment. Deciding that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep any time soon, and that she really didn't want to in the first place, the troubled young werecheetah began to walk aimlessly into the forest._

_Before long, her thoughts turned toward the darker side of life once more. 'This place was so quiet and beautiful before... now it just feels empty, silent as the grave...'_

_If Britanny had been paying attention, she would have immediately noticed the figure standing directly in her path, facing away. She did, however, notice when she collided with something solid, the sound of flesh impacting flesh mixed with a startled yelp also failed to escape her keen sense of observation. 'Agh, what the hell!'_

_Teetering off balance for a moment, she quickly regained her composure, glaring toward the heavens as if expecting a bout of laughter at any moment. Letting out an agitated sigh, she brought her gaze downward... and into the eyes of a dream come true._

_...those eyes weren't her like sister's, deep and marked with a powerful intellect. They were a much lighter cerulean, untamed and free as the cloudless sky..._

_This time, a voice laden with kindness and genuine concern accompanied her nightmare savior. "Sorry 'bout that, I really should've... whoa..."_

_Britanny visibly flinched as the statement trailed off. 'Oh no, I'm in my hybrid form! He's gonna freak out and run away from me, and-!'_

_Her mental tirade was cut off by the former obstruction. "Ahhh... I know it's impolite ta ask, and I'm real sorry 'bout this, but... what are ya?"_

_Blinking in astonishment, the surprised werecheetah fumbled for words. "I, uh, I'm a w-werecheetah... um..." _

_She trailed off, taking the time to study the person before her, now positively identified as a young man around her age. Raven hair, tied in a loose pigtail and gleaming vibrantly in the sunlight, framed what would normally be considered a handsome face. No, in this case the young man's features were captivating, made truly beautiful by the honesty, gentleness and compassion that shone for all the world to see. This was what ensnared the hearts of so many young women, although they couldn't really articulate what their subconsciences, or perhaps more precisely their hearts, were drawn to so passionately._

_"Really? Sounds neat! If I remember right, cheetahs are s'posed to be the fastest cat in the world or somethin' like that. I bet it must be a lot of fun, bein' able to move that quick. It'd probly come in handy for a martial artist, huh? Ya know..."_

_Of course, the younger of the two Diggers girls was, by now, too far gone to hear him. Indeed, she had allowed her vision to trail downward, discovering just how well developed the youth's body was. Somehow, she managed to restrain herself from glomping the shorter boy- truly admirable self control, that. 'Mine! Oooooh yes, Cheetah's on the prowl! Mwahahahahahahahaaaa!'_

_Or maybe not..._

_"Erm... what're ya starin' at, anyway?Hello? Hey!"_

_Forced from her pleasant daydreaming, the mighty huntress blink-blinked before grinning from ear to ear. "Nothing, nothing at all! By the way, my name's Britanny. What's yours?"_

_Now it was his turn to blink before putting a hand behind his head in an embarassed manner. "Ehehe, oops. Forgot to introduce myself. Here goes- hi, I'm Ranma! Sorry 'bout this."_

_The lycanthrope's face registered confusion as she asked, "Sorry about what? You didn't do anything."_

_This time, the hand placed behind Ranma's head began to fiddle with his pigtail. "Err, old habit."_

_She continued to stare at him as he broke out in nervous laughter. Of course, she was just taking the opportunity to check him out some more- but he didn't need to know that. Struck with a sudden thought, Britanny paused in her ogling (quite reluctantly) in order to voice a question. "Hey, Ranma... what are you doing here, anyway?"_

_Caught off guard by the inquiry, the pigtailed boy began stumbling for words. Inhaling deeply to calm himself, he replied, "I'm just wanderin' all over, tryin' to find somethin' interesting. I was decidin' on a direction to take when you bumped inta me."_

_The now familiar grin returned, this time looking for all the world quite sheepish. "Ahaha, yeah, um, sorry- I should've watched where I was going."_

_She had expected him to agree whole heartedly, rightfully placing the blame on her like any normal person would do. Of course, Ranma was not a normal person, and she did not expect the reaction she got- a casual wave of the hand, completely dismissing the situation. "Nah, don't worry 'bout it. 'Sides, it was my fault for standin' there like that. By the way... what are you doin' way out here?"_

_Britanny could only stare at him in mute shock. 'He doesn't blame me? But I plowed dead into him!'_

_This reaction was, sadly, due to the memories of high school fresh in her mind. Back then, if she'd bumped into someone, even on accident, they would have at least shot her a dirty look- several, most likely. Then, it came to her- the thought that brought a brighter-than-the-sun smile to her face. 'He really doesn't care that I'm not human, not in the slightest!'_

_She would have glomped onto the pigtailed wanderer right then and there, holding on for dear life, but his question chose that exact moment to sink in. Darn. "Oh, I'm out here with my sister- she's looking up some ancient ruins or something like that."_

_Trailing off, Britanny took on a pensive look (which coincidentally made her look quite cute- not that it was on purpose or anything like that) and appeared to be in deep thought for several moments. Seeming to have reached a satisfactory conclusion, she bounced excitedly toward a now slightly (only slightly) nervous looking Ranma._ _In as sweet a voice as she could muster (which was on the verge of cavity-inducing), she asked the question which would change both their lives forever- and for the better. "Oooh Ranma... would you like to go back to our camp? You can meet my sister, Gina!"_

_"I don't know if that's such a good idea- I kinda need to get movin'. Lot of ground ta cover, ya know."_

_That did it. It was time to bring out her ultimate weapon- the Puppy, er, Kitten Eyes of Pleading! Nobody could resist it, not even-_

_**GROOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWLLLLLLLL!**_

_Both youths shifted their attention to Ranma's stomach, which had let it's lack of contents be known by way of an inhuman growl. Taking advantage of the situation, Britanny quickly added, "We have lots of food!"_

_"Uhh... in that case- lead the way!"_

_The priceless look of someone who just won the lottery adorned her features as she grabbed his hand and began half-guiding half-dragging her pigtailed guest. 'Yes! Score!'_

A sudden shift in the bed under her alerted Britanny that her charge had awakened from his muffin induced nap. Seconds later, a groggy voice met her ears. "Argh, what happened?"

Trying her best not to break out in a fit of giggles, and failing miserably, she answered, "Something you ate didn't agree with you. Now get up, it's time to get ready for our date!"

A somehow less than enthusiastic groan was the only reply.

* * *

AN: Um sorry guys, but I opted to post this little part of chapter 4-2 early. I've been stuck on the flashback scene for days, gah! I was tryin' my best!This isn't the whole chapter, just the intro. Ergh... I've got my work cut out for me... I just really need to know what you think of it, 'cause I'd rather edit whatever needs editing before I release the full chapter. If you say it's fine, then eh... I'll leave it alone. If you say it needs changing in one way or another, I'll change it. Simple, yes? 

Comment on that "fanfic", Ranma goes poopy!- man those reviewers are scary (and I agree with most of 'em), I didn't even want to read the story after checking the reviews (why there are so many I'll never know... almost as many reviews as there are words in the damn thing)! Not that I wanted to in the first place, after seein' the title and summary, but eh...

Some things in the lil flashback thingy might've seemed a bit weird- that's actually part of an idea I got- you'll find out waaaay down the line. Also, keep in mind that my brain was totally fried due to lack of sleep throughout a good portion of this. o.O

As usual, advice and constructive criticism are very much appreciated. Bring on the verbal abuse! Er... well, you know what I mean...


	6. Terms of Victory or Endearment Part 3

Falling Once More

Chapter 4: Terms of Victory, Er, Endearment Part 3

A/N: . . . Well, now. So, here we are again. I realize it has been a good number of years since I last updated- anything, really. Sorry. A good part of the reason is that just after I graduated high school and went off to basic training my entire binder full of notes disappeared on me. Even now all I'm working off of is fresh ideas, memories, and a handful of notes left on my old external hard drive. Oh, well. I am currently deployed to (A certain country that has lots of fireworks, loud ones), which gives me plenty of time to write. And write. And write s'more (even though internet access to actually post updates is most definitely not guaranteed). I must apologize in advance for being out of practice. Maybe I'll get back into my old groove, or maybe I will find a new one. Who knows. Any and all feedback will help me to this end- _especially_ regarding descriptions: people, places, clothes, beatdowns, etc. These are places where I feel a bit weak in particular. Thanks in advance, and enjoy!

Oh, and also (yes, I actually go back and add more to these notes as I think of things) I type slow. Or rather, I type fast but I take a good while to think out just about every sentence and phrase I type up. I hope the care I take shows in the quality of my work but it does take some time for me to produce even a single page of writing. Please understand.

* * *

Stretching a bit and glancing about the living room for the umpteenth time, Ranma found his eyes drawn to a nearby clock yet again. '5:14? Wonder what's takin' so long? It can't take this long just to pick out some clothes and put 'em on, right? It never takes me long at . . . '

His thoughts trailed off as he recalled his own experiences in preparing for the evening's outing. Brittany had been very insistent on picking out his outfit. And helping him change into it. With a shiver the martial artist recalled that it had taken nearly half an hour just for her to choose something that she thought would fit the occasion . . . while he stood there wearing only spotted boxers and a very nervous grin. He also could have sworn that when he turned to glance out the window a camera clicked and flashed from the vicinity of the closet where his 'wife' was deeply entrenched in their shared wardrobe. Must have been his imagination though, right? Right. (Riiiiiiight . .)

With a shake of his head to dislodge any possible revelations he wasn't yet ready for the pigtailed teen ran a finger along the seam of his pants. While they were the same black silk slacks he was accustomed to, the shirt was something he'd never seen before in his life- and was apparently his twentieth birthday present. An exquisitely detailed cheetah stalked its' way up the left side of his chest, almost nuzzling his neck. An equally majestic wild horse kicked up toward the heavens on his back, midnight black over a deep forest green. The stallion's proud eyes seemed almost to be searching for the cheetah, she in turn hunting for him. 'This really is a nice shirt. Even if she said it's s'posed ta be mine I'll hafta thank Brit whenever she gets done. I guess it is kinda poetic or somethin' the way the cheetah is lookin' for the horse but- hey, wait. Don't cheetahs . . . eat . . . horses?'

As was dictated by the rules of the multiverse Brittany chose that very moment to make her way downstairs. Instantly locking onto the greatest object of her affections she preened a bit and smiled beautifully. "Well, what do you think? Definitely worth the wait, right? I haven't worn this since- hey, Ranma? Helloooo? What's with that weird look on your face?"

Literally jumping a few inches in surprise the pigtailed boy automatically scooted several inches away from the voice before focusing on the speaker. "W-what?! I know I said it before but I'm pretty sure I don't taste all that- Brit?"

It was the same voice, the same eyes. Her hair even had the same pattern but . . . she looked like a regular human girl now. An absolutely _breathtaking_ girl. 'I didn't know I knew that word . .' was all that came to mind as he just stood stock still and observed every nuance of her loveliness. A dark green dress that matched his own outfit also served to highlight her stunningly emerald eyes. Even the simple gold band on her ring finger and the plain gold necklace she wore seemed to shine brilliantly. To his eyes she was gorgeous. Vibrant. Elegant.

After several long moments of Ranma staring at her, Britanny began to sniffle and tear up. "I know, I'm not very good looking in my human form, but I can't go out in public in my hybrid form! I-I understand if you don't want to be seen with me like this... you don't have to go out with me if you don't want to..."

His brain quickly reaching the boiling point of panic, he struggled to come up with something to say that would mollify the almost-crying girl. "N-no, really, you're really cute like that Brit! I mean it!"

'Gah! What am I saying?! Complimentin' other girls means an uncute tomboy is gonna pop up outta nowhere and mallet me! But she looked like she was gonna start crying... I had to cheer her up, right? Yeah, that's right! Only... what if she takes it the wrong way, like Ucchan did?! Wait, wait... I s'pose Brit already thought of...'

While Ranma was stuck within his thought loop, Britanny had quickly approached glomping range with hearts in her eyes. 'I knew it! Ranma will always be the same, sweet man I fell in love with!'

'... and then she'd- no, no, what am I thinkin'? She wouldn't do that... then again, I...eh? What's thAAAAAAAAAAGH!!'

-WHUMP! CRASH!- Contact! Amazonian Flying Glomp Revised: Werecheetah Pounce of Affection!

"... Ow... ya might not look like it, but you sure do hit hard, even in that form... ergh..."

A happy purr and an even tighter squeeze were his only reply.

* * *

Lights and sounds passed her by in a blurred cacophony as she exited the terminal. Mere hours and days before she had begun this trip with purposeful strides and focused intentions. Now, however, it was difficult to put one foot in front of the other and make out the words on a large sign overhead through her nervousness.

-Welcome to Atlanta, Georgia!-

For the past hour, as her flight circled in for a gentle touchdown at the airport she was now leaving, everything inside of her had been screaming that this was a horrible idea. A mistake. She should have remained where she was and just . . . forgotten. Forgotten him. Forgotten her. Forgotten _them_. Even as she thought that the familiar pain returned to haunt her once more. 'No, not him. I can't forget him. Not ever. That would be the mistake.'

'But why am I putting myself through this again, anyway? I should be over it by now. There's no point in re-opening old wounds. I must be stupid if . . . I . . . '

Slender fingers grasped meaningfully at a spot just above her heart, the familiar tinkling of metal underneath her fingertips bringing some small comfort. 'If I what? If I still love him? If I want to see him again, hear his voice again?'

'. . . If I would give anything, _anything_ just to have him look at me and smile the way he does at her?'

No, no, _no_. She would not shed any more tears. That was over and done with. 'It's not like crying would turn back the clock, huh?' "E-even if I wish for a second chance every night." Wait, had she said that out loud? Furthermore that could not be her voice cracking like that. Not even possible. She was far stronger than this. She could easily face anything the world had to throw at her- except him. Him and all things concerning him, it seemed.

With a quick shake of her head to rattle away any more traitorous thoughts she set her sights on the horizon. She would walk to her destination. It would give her time to think things through. Granted, that was probably something she should have done before even embarking on such a- 'No. Stop. I'm going to do this. I _need_ to do this. I'm done doubting. I'm done regretting. I'll tell him what I should have told him the day I met him, and then . . . '

Her thoughts trailed off as she gazed up into the wondrously luminescent sky. It was comforting to have something so beautiful watching over her like a warm, gentle mother. Full moons always did set her at ease.

* * *

"Your name, sir?"

Fish-eyed and stuttering, Ranma couldn't really find any comfort in the sharply dressed older man's charming smile. "Err, R-ranma. Ranma Sa-" "Diggers! Ranma and Brittany Diggers."

Calm, inviting gray eyes scanned through a large, leather-bound and gold emblazoned book for a brief moment. "Ahhh, yes. As always, it is a pleasure to see the two of you back here. Please forgive the minor formalities."

Brittany returned a friendly grin, not at all offended. "You always say the same thing. It's great to see you again too, Jeffrey."

The gentleman's smile widened almost imperceptibly at this. "Very well then. I have your usual table waiting. This way please Brittany, Ranma."

As Brittany and Jeffrey made small talk on the way to their table Ranma found himself in awe of his surroundings once more. Crystalline chandeliers high above shed a cheery light on the restaurant. Satin, silk, silver, gold and all manner of expensive fineries decorated each table lavishly yet did not make the pleasant atmosphere seem at all gaudy. Couples young and old peppered the various sections, flavoring the evening with quiet murmurs and loving gazes. Amazingly to him, the size of the place did not seem intimidating nor did the number of people make it seem at all crowded. What caught the martial artist's attention the most, however, were the delicious scents wafting in from what he clearly marked as the kitchen.

Before he even realized it they were standing before their reserved table. Pulled back into the here and now he looked about in confusion. Why weren't they sitting down yet? Brittany met his gaze expectantly, a small and patient curling of the lips encouraging him to do . . . something. 'What's she lookin' at me like that for? Damn it, I shoulda paid more attention to what was goin' on!'

The sound of someone lightly clearing his throat nearby pulled him from his mental tirade. "Ranma, aren't you going to assist your darling wife in seating herself?"

Before he could pop a coronary from hearing "your darling wife" Ranma latched onto the rest of Jeffrey's statement and took decisive action. With speed and grace that was almost unnatural he stepped over to Brittany and pulled her chair out for her. He'd seen this on T.V. somewhere before- now was it before or after the Animal World special on the African Che- 'Gah!! I don't wanna remember that right now! I'm never, ever going to watch that stupid- huh?'

A soft hand resting gently on top of his own drew his attention down and brought him face to face with Brittany. Green eyes sparkled up at him adoringly and he found it difficult to look away. It was even harder to want to. "Thank you, Ranma."

Carefully pulling away and pointedly staring at his own intended seat he mumbled a quiet, "you're welcome" before making his way toward Jeffrey. Keeping his voice low he thanked the gentle host for his timely intervention. "You're very welcome, Ranma. It's not the first time I've seen you completely enchanted by her beauty."

With a light laugh the older gentleman stepped jovially back toward his post leaving behind a flabbergasted Saotome heir. "Well aren't you going to sit down, Muffin?" Grumbling slightly to himself, he did just that.

* * *

With a careful twist and a metallic 'click' the front door opened slowly on well-oiled hinges. Moon and star light streamed in, pooling on the floor and outlining a tall, lithe figure. With ethereal grace the silhouette glided soundlessly through the threshold and toward the living room. The figure did not appear to disturb even dust in its' passing.

In stark contrast to this serenity of movement, however, was a swirling turmoil of thought and feeling. Barely restraining a weary, heaving breath, Brianna Diggers slumped into a precarious position on the sofa. 'Well, I did it. I made it back in one piece. That's got to count for something, right?' A small self-depreciating smile curled itself onto her lovely face. 'Yeah, looks like I'll be claiming the booby prize tonight.'

She wanted to snort derisively to herself but instead kept silent. It wasn't hard. She had abundant experience in ignoring her desires after all . . .

This time Brianna couldn't hold back a sigh. Five days away from home and she was still just as lost as ever. Five days away from- 'what a mess,' she thought instead. Anything to keep her mind off what she had been trying to escape. Wearily she curled into a ball, resting her chin on her knees and squeezing her eyes shut. 'Why can't I just get over it and move on already?!'

Entering her own house had brought back a flood of memories, many of them bittersweet. She'd thought that getting away from everything for a while would help but it hadn't/ Not a bit. Those feelings were still there churning the muddled confines of her heart; too deep to let go but too painfully, unbearably close to the surface to ignore. 'I guess it wasn't meant to be. Maybe the hand of fate just didn't pick me . . .'

She came very close to jumping out of her skin when said hand loomed out of the shadows and came to rest on her shoulder. Fortunately for the sake of Brianna's racing heart the face of the Diggers patriarch followed soon afterward. "D-d-d-dad?!" she squeaked out. She hated sounding vulnerable. It was something she'd almost managed to completely avoid before. Almost. "What are you doing here?"

He fixed her with a smile that put her at ease. "Well, I do live here. Also, " his expression became somber, "a father always knows when his daughter needs him." For a moment Brianna was able to smile again. Like wintry breath, however, it quickly faded into the air. "That obvious huh?" A nod and slight upward twitch of the lips answered her more clearly than any words could ever manage. "That obvious."

They waited together in silence, Brianna taking to chewing on her bottom lip. Neither could really think of a good way to broach the subject at hand. It was difficult for her to bring up such painful events, and what hurt Brianna hurt her father. Even so, the Aura Mage had learned patience over his many years. For her sake he would not falter now.

After several minutes of reflection the youngest of the Diggers daughters began to speak hesitantly. "You know, it's funny. I wanted to get so far from here- from the hurt, the loss, the emptiness. But I ended up staying at a hotel downtown instead because . . ." her mouth worked soundlessly before she choked back a sob and continued, "b-because I still-" she had to stop again and regain her composure once more. A deep breath later she continued with an oddly calming sense of determination. This was something that had to be said. "Because no matter how much it hurts, it hurts even more to be away from him. I love him. I love Ranma."

Even though Brianna knew her father was already well aware of her feelings it was still the first time she admitted it to anyone other than herself. Maybe this was what she needed to finally move on with her life. Her father would explain things to her, things she already knew but were too painful to accept before. Ranma and Brittany were married now and she should be happy for them. Even if she had never taken the chance to confess her feelings to the pigtailed man it was for the better. The martial artist was her brother-in-law and things would be simple from here on out. 'Brittany made her claim already. They belong together and I could never interfere with that. I wish I'd told him how I feel but it's too late now. You can't just turn back the clock . . .'

As his youngest daughter surrendered to past regret, Theodore fought against the overwhelming desire to shield his face behind his hands and weep. He had to tell Brianna everything, give her time to think and prepare before she found out herself. What she would do from there even he could not divine. Rolling his head back and eyeing the ceiling as if it were the wayward young man in question, Theo could not help but emulate Ranma's unique smirk. 'I love you as if you really were my own son, boy, but you certainly have a way with bringing chaos into all of our lives.' The smirk grew in proportion to the headache he was experiencing. 'And we love you all the more for it.'

. . .

. . .

' . . . Most of the time.'

* * *

Gingerly, Ranma sampled another forkful of his food. It wasn't because it didn't taste good (he'd inhale it anyway) but rather because it was very- _**unusual**_ to eat something he'd never even heard of but that was apparently his favorite nontheless. This came about when Brittany had noticed the vacant stare he'd affixed the menu with.

_"Ranma? Ranma," the werecheetah giggled lightly, "do you need some help with that?"_

_ The martial artist in question snapped out of his stupor just long enough to make himself seem more . . . well, stupid. "Oh, err- no. I uh, it . . . it's Italian?" he finished lamely._

_ That was enough to get a full laugh from Brittany. Several people at nearby tables turned to her curiously but it didn't bother her in the least. She was already trying her hardest to resist the urge to slip around the table and hug-tackle the cute pigtailed teen. "I'll just get you your usual favorite, okay hon?"_

She had indeed been kind enough to order for him after that. Ranma could not remember for the life of him what the name of it was but he had to admit, the food was delicious and it was the most peaceful and relaxing meal he had ever eaten. Small talk with Brittany had helped toward that end. Although not the best conversationalist himself, the werecheetah was playful, kind and patient in words and actions. Talking normally and not having every other sentence end in "Die Ranma!", "Fight me, Ranma!", "Marry me, Ranma!" or any combination of the above did wonders for his long frazzled nerves. Then again, it was strange in and of itself that he had managed to find serene normalcy in the oddness of sitting at his future-favorite table eating his future-favorite food. Maybe it really was impossible to have a normal dinner for once in his life? 'That sorta makes sense . . . I think?'

Quickly dismissing that line of thought before it could lead to a headache, the martial artist turned his attention back to his 'date' for the evening. He was surprised and somewhat alarmed to see that Brittany had already been staring at him for some time, a glazed look in her eyes as she twisted the simple gold band on her finger this way and that with a small smile. Ranma had begun to recognize it as a sign that she was remembering something she cherished. More often than not involving him. Clothing optional. 'Maybe I should snap her out of it,' he thought to himself reluctantly. She really did seem to be enjoying herself and it didn't even seem- well, lewd this time. Still, it made him curious. "Uh, Brit? Hey, Brit? Hello," he reached over and waved his hand to catch her attention, "are ya still there?"

With a blink the werecheetah refocused on her surroundings, flushing slightly and adopting an embarassed little grin. "O-oh, yes? What is it, Muffin?" Now it was the pigtailed youth's turn to appear sheepish, scratching the back of his head. "Well I was kinda wonderin' what you were thinkin' about is all."

Brittany tilted her head to the side and stared off into the past. When she began to speak her tone was fond yet contained a hint of wistfulness. "You- or, the older you I guess, proposed to me here at this very table. The only time I've ever been happier was at our wedding."

The older woman drifted back into her reminiscing as Ranma reeled in his seat, slack-jawed at the revelation. Well, of course he knew that they'd been married but suddenly finding out that he was sitting right where the other him had asked Brittany into said married status made him feel all kinds of awkward. His mind was abuzz as he thought deeply on it. Come to think of it, was she expecting something from him? Was there something he should have been doing? Technically speaking it _was_ his fault that she couldn't be with her own husband right at that very . . .

The martial artist froze for a moment before his head slowly tipped forward, gaze falling to the table and beyond it as his bangs shadowed his eyes. That's right. Brittany's husband, wether it was actually the older him or not, was effectively lost to her right now because he'd gotten tangled up in yet more patented Neriman havoc- after he'd apparently left that place years prior. All the chaos centered around his life had only been increasing and it was taking its toll on not just him now. How long before even more people were pulled into the craziness? He could only handle so much before it started getting completely out of hand, after all. He didn't even have the power to really get himself out anymore. How could he fix this?

The only solution Ranma could think of was to get sent back to where he came from. Theo had told him that such a thing was beyond difficult for conventional magic- it would take a relic of awsome magnitude to generate the power required to undo whatever had been done to him. For now, the Aura Mage had recorded the residual eldritch energies that would be useful in determining just what it was that needed undoing in the first place. He'd promised that he would find something eventually, however.

It began to sink in at this point that this wasn't a training trip. Nor was it another insane misadventure where he'd been back to his surrogate home in a matter of days. He couldn't, could _not_ return to the Tendo dojo for a number of reasons. First and foremost, he had no idea under what terms his older self had left before- what would he find if he went there now, over five years into his own future? Would everyone he knew hate him? Would they still be trying to steer his life in a direction of their own choosing? If so, then he'd probably run into them again sooner or later regardless.

The possibility that he was an 'analogue' of himself from a parallel universe had also been raised. This might not even be his set future- or maybe that meant it could be if it was what he desired? From the turmoil in his mind, a single traitorous thought reared its ugly head. 'Why go back at all?'

It wasn't so bad, this life- a glance at any one of the pictures he'd found in an album told him that he was and could be very happy here. He was treated better here by far, and no one had tried to corral him into anything he didn't want. For the first time in a long while, he had the absolute freedom to choose- and it scared him. Should he give up on returning to his own place and effectively run away from his unsolved problems? That most certainly did not agree with him, although he might not even have a choice in the matter. On the other hand, returning and solving said problems was something that eluded him on more than one level. No matter how much it galled him, he had to admit that as he was, he lacked the true strength to fix everything and move on. To take control of his own life.

Ranma's head snapped up, eyes wide. The sudden movement caused the table to jump slightly, pulling Brittany out of her daydream (which HAD turned lewd at this point) with a confused blink. 'Wait, wait. That's it! I can train here and get stronger, strong enough to make everything work out! Nobody's here ta keep pestering me all the time- I can think of something for when I get back. And I will definitely get back,' he finished the thought out loud, though it was little more than a fervent whisper. "I swear it on my honor."

As Brittany cocked her head to the side and shot the pigtailed boy a questioning look, he'd already started making plans. "Are ya ready to go, Brit?"

The werecheetah was caught off guard by the sudden question, but it brought an affectionate smile to her face nontheless. She'd heard the younger boy's voice colored with nervousness and uncertainty far too often lately. It was good to hear the confidence and vitality that were part of the reason she'd fallen so hard for him all those years ago. "Sure. Ready when you are, Muffin."

By the time they'd made it back out to the sprawling parking garage just down the street from the restaurant, Ranma had already formulated the rough outline of a plan to reclaim his own life once he returned to his own time and place. For now, working out the details and training himself into the ground would keep him busy- and distract him from thinking too deeply about the parts of his life that he did miss. All in all, though, it felt good to have focus again. He could definitely take this down as one of the better nights he'd ever ha- he paused in mid stride, Brittany taking several more steps before noticing his absence beside her. As she turned about to ask what was wrong, the Saotome heir's eyes were riveted to an inconspicuous puddle of water several yards down the road. Inconspicuous until one considered that it was the dead of summer and it had not rained for over a week.

As Brittany voiced her concern, a truck speeding down the street hit said puddle; predictably, the resulting spray rose to impossible heights at an improbable angle, rebounding off a sign to splash the sometimes-girl while completely bypassing the werecheetah. A now unmistakably female Ranma let out an indignant squawk as Brittany's words caught in her throat.

Wiping the cold water (again, in the dead of summer?) from her eyes, Ranma refused to meet the slightly taller girl's gaze. 'I was wonderin' when this would happen. Guess I've been pushin' my luck lately. As if I ever had any,' the martial artist thought with a snort. It occurred to her that she'd not mentioned the curse to the Diggers- whether out of preference, habit or both she could not say. She was startled out of her reverie when gentle hands smoothed damp red locks from her face.

Brittany reached into her purse and retrieved an unusually thick handkerchief that was meant for just such an occasion. Warm green eyes peered into surprised blue as she carefully dabbed at a few spots of mud on the shorter girl's face. "Are you alright, Ranma?" she murmured. "It's been a while since the last time this happened. Guess it's always just a matter of time, huh?"

Ranma just nodded dumbly, head spinning with thoughts. Brittany didn't care about the curse? She hadn't even batted an eyelash, and there was no sign of scorn or disgust in her posture or expression. Rather, there was genuine care underlined by things the teen couldn't quite understand yet. The sweet scent of perfume reached her nose, causing her to flush and stammer a bit as she was reminded of their close proximity. "Y-yeah. M'fine. Just, uh, wet. I'm really wet right now."

Brittany giggled slightly at the redhead's choice of words. "Yes, I can see that. Oh, hold on. I missed a spot . . . " she trailed off, a cute look of concentration on her face as she diligently worked to clean off her beloved. Ranma stood and stared, retreating into her thoughts again. This meant that the Ranma of this time still had the curse. Which meant that he'd still have the curse five years after his own time. Would he never be rid of it? Was he doomed to change genders with hot and cold water until the day he died?

The Saotome heir began to wilt in despair but was pulled out of it almost immediately by Brittany's cheerful tone. "Close enough. Let's go home and get you a nice, hot shower. You'll be a squeaky clean young man again in no time at all!"

Blinking several times, it took a moment for the words to register with Ranma. When they finally did she broke into a sunny smile, nodding gratefully. 'This really isn't so bad after all. I don't even have ta worry so much 'bout the curse now! Maybe I don't need ta hurry so much ta find a way back home yet.'

The cheerful tone turned sinister, the blonde's spotted bangs shadowing her eyes in an evil manner and highlighting the maniacal looking grin on her darkened features. "And then I'll just hop on in with you aaaaaand~ . . . " she trailed off, purring up a storm.

Ranma automatically took several steps back, now sporting a huge sweatdrop. 'Then again, I _do_ have an awful lotta responsibility back in Nerima! Better get right ta work on that.'

* * *

**Note**- sorry, moving locations soon. Cutting it off a bit early.


End file.
